How to care for your skin this Winter

This Winter, we have so many mini skincare gems to share with you, including the addition of two new brands - La Roche Posay and Laneige.  

Does your skin suffer in the Winter? Mine needs all the help it can get. Cold air holds less humidity. When you step outside, that dry air pulls water from the surface of your skin. Over time, this leads to rough texture and a tight, uncomfortable feeling.

Radiators, central heating and fan heaters all reduce indoor humidity.
So even when you’re cosy inside, your skin is still losing moisture. 

If you’re constantly moving between cold streets and heated buildings, your skin barrier can become stressed. This can cause redness and sensitivity, burning or stinging sensations, and even flare-ups of eczema or rosacea.  That's why we should focus on hydration, barrier repair and gentle care.

Here are my simple steps for your Winter routine:

Step 1: Use a Gentle, Hydrating Cleanser

In Winter, harsh cleansers can strip away your natural oils, making dryness worse. If your skin feels tight within minutes of cleaning (before moisturiser), your cleanser may be too drying for winter. This is when I switch from a foaming cleanser to a balm. This balm cleanser by Heimish is just the ticket; with Shea butter and botanical flower extract, the balm to milk cleanser will gently clean whilst not stripping the skin. 

Step 2: Add a Hydrating Toner 

Straight after cleansing, while your skin is still slightly damp, use a hydrating mist, like our best selling Time is Running Out Mist with Macadamia seed oil, for hydration. This creates a “water cushion” underneath your moisturiser, and allows products to absorb better. 

Step 3: Switch to a Richer Winter Moisturiser

Your light summer lotion isn’t always enough in winter. Let's look for moisturisers with Ceramides - lipids which support/replace the fats in the skin barrier, as well as soothing ingredients such as Panthenol, which help to soothe irritated skin. I love these by Care:Nel and Laneige.

Care:Nel moisturiser is not only great for treating pigment darkening, but also contains Glycerin – a classic humectant which draws water into the outer skin layers, as well as Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid and Myristic Acid – fatty acids which help reinforce the lipid layer. 

Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic is a superstar in the Winter. Though it has a light texture, it's full of great ingredients: Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol and Mannitol. These humectants attract and hold onto water in the upper layers of skin, keeping it plump instead of papery and tight. Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid (0.02%) – a small amount, but still helps bind water and improve surface hydration. There is also an abundance of soothing, calming and repairing active ingredients in here too:  

Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5) – humectant + soothing; helps with barrier repair and reduces irritation.

Allantoin – calming, helps with roughness and minor irritation.

Beta-Glucan – hydrating and strongly soothing; also supports barrier repair.

Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate – probiotic ferment; often used to support a healthy skin microbiome and barrier.

Undaria Pinnatifida Extract (wakame/seaweed) – often used for hydration, antioxidant and soothing benefits.

Step 4: Don’t Skip SPF in Winter

Opt for a light, hydrating formula with a gel or serum texture, such as Dr Ceuracle Reyouth Serum or Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Moist Sun Serum 

Step 5: Create a Night-Time “Repair” Routine

Night-time is when your skin naturally repairs itself, so help it out.

1. Gentle cleanse

2. Hydrating toner or essence
   

3. Rich moisturiser with soothing Panthenol such as La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume

This is a multi-purpose, dermatologically tested repairing balm designed to soothe, protect, and support the recovery of sensitive or irritated skin. Enriched with a calming blend of 5% Panthenol (Vitamin B5) and Madecassoside, this award-winning formula helps accelerate the skin’s natural repair process while offering instant comfort. you'll love it because  the 5% Panthenol delivers deep soothing relief for dry, tight, or irritated skin, Madecassoside, a renowned skin-repairing ingredient, helps encourage natural regeneration, Tribioma™ prebiotic complex supports a healthier skin microbiome and strengthens the skin barrier.

If your skin is very dry, you can “seal” your moisturiser with a small amount of Vaseline on top of particularly dry areas (cheeks, around the mouth).